Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Americans. Drugs that can prevent or limit metastasis, growth, or invasive properties of cancer in mammals have the potential for life saving use in humans. Metastasis is one of the predominant factors in the mortality of cancer patients. Because few options exist for the treatment of metastatic disease, drugs that show potential for the prevention or treatment of cancer and metastasis in particular have great value.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in US Patent Publication Numbers: US-20070066616 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,614-A1; and the following publications Tony Lee Perry, Isolation and lead optimization of natural sunscreens from the marine sponge Laxosubrites sp. A Master's Thesis, The University of Mississippi, 1998 (University of Mississippi Library) and 3,5-Diisopropylbenzylidene heterocyclic compound, Japanese Patent Office abstract of publication number 62-029570 (Kanegafuchi Chem Ind Co Ltd) application published Feb. 7th 1987, which are not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention by their mention in the background. However, none of the references have adequately solved the need for anti-metastatic, anti-growth, and anti-invasive cancer drugs. For the foregoing reasons there is a need for compounds that display activity against cancer cells including the specific activities described above, methods of producing these compounds, and methods for treating cancer cells with these compounds.